Projectile.



c. WEST., PROJECTILEY.

APPLICATIUN FILED JULY13, 1914.

Patentd Mar. 7,1916.

.l 4 Try.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFioE.

CLFTON WEST, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

PROJ ECTILE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar.y 7, i916.

Application led July 13, 1914. Serial N'o. 850,600.

ToaZZ whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, CLIFTON lVEsT, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at London, England, have invented new and useful Improvements in Projectiles, of which the following is a specilication.

This invention relaties to projectiles of any su'table size of the kind which are more especially intended for the destruction of dirigible air-ships, balloons, and the like, by the employment of which not only will the envelop of the balloon be penetrated and torn, but the gas contained therein will be `but illustrating a modified method for effecting the same purpose.

Similar letters of reference relate to like parts in all the figures .of the drawings.

In Fig. l z is the body ofthe projectile. b the nose or fore-part thereof, c a block suitably connected to the body a, and having any convenient number of holes disposed in a circular path and into which are placed rods d of spark-producing or pyrophoric alloy, for example. supported by and forced outward by helical springs e. The nose or fore-part b is furnished with helical or screw-shaped outer surfaces f, and is rotatably mounted on the block o by means of a backwardly projecting pin or stem g, which may be retained in position by means of a set-screw h or the like engaging with an annular groove z' therein in a well known manner. A space j is provided between the lfront end of the body a and the rear of the nose. or fore-part b, and the adjacent surface :r of the latter` which is in contact with the outer ends of the pyrophoric rods d, is milled or roughened. A hole closed by a screw-plug 7c, may be provided in the rear end of the projectile through which'a screwdriver or the likel may be inserted for the purpose of screwing-or" unscr'ewing Athe block c.

It will be understood that when the prol? jectile is tired, the rodsv l will be carried around therewith, and the nose or fore-.part Z1 with its pin or stem g, beingfree 'to rotate independently of the body a of the'projectile, and by its screw-shaped outer :surfaces f being retarded or caused to rotate in the opposite direction to that of the body a, the friction thereby set up Vbetween theimilled or roughened surface .fc and the outeryends of the. rcds (Z will cause a continuous streami of sparks or flame to be emitted and projected outward through the space j. Holes on. may be formed inthe nose b. asshown, through which air will be'caused to pass into the space j and assist in dispersing in a radial direction the sparks or flamev as they are formed. This lemission of sparks or llame enables the course of the projectile to be traced during its flight. and r-may be employed for this purpose. `if desired. But if it is required that no sparks. flashes, or flames shall be emitted until the projectile has attained a certain distance.` the action ofthe frictional` contact 'of the spark, flash, or llame-producing medium may be delayed by providing the .outer ends of the rods for example with a protect-ing shield which it will be necessary to penetrate or wear away before the p vrophoric allo)1 or the like is reached. and consequently no sparks, flashes, or flames will be produced during the early part of the flight of the projectile, or until it has arrived within a predetermined distance of the air-ship balloon, or other point of destination.

In some cases the projectile upon being fired. will bring a suitably roughened frictional rotating or otherwise. rapidly moving surface into contact with a relatively stationary sparkproducing or pyrophoric alloy, flint. or other suitable spark. flash ,or llame producing medium; or the said medium may be rapidly rotated or otherwise moved in contact with the said relatively stationary frictional sur ace; or the two may be rotated or moved in opposite directions. For example. in Fig. 2 the rods (l are shown mounted in holes in the fore-part or nose which is rotatably mounted upon the body i in which the rods (l are mounted will bethe forward end of the body a of the projectile. In this case the springs e shown in Fig. 1 may be dispensed with, as the nose Z) constantly urged toward the body a during the flight of the projectile.

In some cases a quantity of Asuitable gasv or inflammable vapor in a state of compression may be stored within the projectile, and suitable piercing devices may be pro- `vided, so that a continuous fine stream of A-back imparted to the plug or rod on the projectile beingdischarged from the gun, the rod 5 being maintained within its guideltube 6, in the position shown, by friction or otherwise. On the projectile being discharged, the rod 5 is forced backward and pierces or fractures the disk 3, whereby the I do not gas is free to' escape through the holes 7 to mix with the atmosphere or other vgas pervading the exterior.

I have found that pyrophoric alloy, being unaffected by firing by friction, gives good results as a spark, flash, or flameproducing medium,but

desire to limit myself to the emof such alloy. Neither do I limit loyment 4 the use of such alloy in rod form myself to fire or water, andv only asillustrated, as it maybe employed in the form of tubes, blocks, rings, 0r other like shapes or surfaces according to requirements.

Claims: Y 1. A projectile provided with devices for creating igniting sparks by the frictional contact of opposing parts, comprising an independent rotatable nose will. helical' outer surfaces thereon, a roughened surface, and pyrophcric rods urged against said surface by springs, substantially as described.

2. Aprojectile provided with devices for creating ignitigpg sparks by the frictional Contact of opposing parts, comprising an independent'rptatable nose with helicahouter surfaces thereon.; a roughened surface and pyrophoricfrodsuged against said surface, substantially-as described.

3. A. projectileprovided with devices for creating-igniting sparks by the frictional contactv of. opposing "parts, comprising an independent rotatable nose with helical outer surfaces thereon, a roughened surface, and pyrophoric rods urged against said surface by springs, in combination with a gas reservoir anda rod operated by the set back imparted to the said rod on discharge of the projectile to pierce the said reservoir, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

CLIFTON IVEST.

' Vitn'f4 AKes:

I1. D. JAMESON, WILLIAM A. SMITH. 

